Another metro Phoenix city approves Google Fiber high-speed internet

PHOENIX — Google Fiber’s long-brewing expansion into metro Phoenix took another step forward with a second Valley city welcoming the high-speed internet provider.

Per an agreement approved Friday by the Chandler City Council, the company will build an underground fiber optic communications system in the East Valley suburb within five years.

The deal is similar to the ones Chandler has with other service providers, according to the city.

Construction is expected to begin later this year, with service coming online in some areas as soon as early 2024, according to a press release. Residents can sign up online to receive progress updates.

With last week’s vote, Chandler officially joined Mesa as a Google Fiber city. Mesa green-lighted the service last year.

The system uses lines made of glass strands and lasers to transmit data, providing upload speeds up to 1 gigabit per second and downloads of up to 2 gigabits. The company currently operates or has deals to operate in 25 U.S. cities.

Google Fiber has been targeting the Valley for years, but efforts in the mid-2010s in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe fell through, in part because of a legal challenge from Cox Communications.

Google Fiber joins Gigapower, whose license was approved last month, Cox Communications, CenturyLink, Wyyerd Connect and Orbitel Communications as residential fiber providers in Chandler.

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